


Meet Me in Chicago

by DesertVixen



Series: Bringing Down The Barriers [3]
Category: Hardy Boys - Franklin W. Dixon, Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: F/M, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-02
Updated: 2011-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-14 08:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/147423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nancy and Frank finally get a vacation with no family and no mystery...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note: This story originally published at FF.net on 12/11/08 (complete). NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE STORY.
> 
> I know it’s getting to be a wait in between stories, but my muse was a little annoyed at being thrown in my duffle bag and taken to Iraq.
> 
> This is the promised “weekend in Chicago” story – I hope everyone enjoys it.
> 
> Chronological Note: This story takes place one week after the end of “Connections”. The general time frame for the stories is three years after the SuperMysteries, making the characters of legal drinking age.

Nancy sighed, and drummed her fingers on her steering wheel. She knew she should have left a little earlier, but she had gotten caught up. Now she was paying the price.  
Her nervousness had tried to cloak itself in irritation at the drivers making the highway traffic a tangle around them, but she couldn’t deny it. She was nervous about meeting Frank, nervous about it just being the two of them. No younger brother, no parents, no clients, and no case – nothing but the two of them. Nancy’s roommate would be on the scene, of course, but that wasn’t the same. Reese wasn’t a part of what she was used to sharing with Frank. Nancy was looking forward to introducing them.

Despite the bond with her roommate, no one could replace George and Bess in her life. They were like her sisters. Reese Koscuiszko was like the fun cousin who made her look forward to every family get-together. She had also been the first to hear about Nancy and Ned breaking up – in fact, she had bought the chocolate chip ice cream for consolation purposes. It had almost been a relief to talk to her about it, since Ned was a much bigger part of Bess and George’s life than he was to Reese, making Reese a little more objective about whether or not the breakup was a good idea.

They had met as freshmen in an introductory criminal justice class, and become friends almost immediately. Nancy and Reese had engineered a room swap at the semester to escape disliked roommates. Over the summer between their sophomore and junior years, they had managed to convince their parents that an off-campus apartment would be better than the dorms. She was still a little amazed that they had bought that line of reasoning, although it had turned out to be the truth. They did get more studying done away from campus, and they hadn’t thrown too many wild parties.

As much as it was nice to be back in River Heights for the summer, it was nice to run up to Chicago and have some time by herself. Nancy was definitely looking forward to this weekend, as much as it was making her nervous. It was going to be fun – if she ever got inside the airport, she mused as she pulled off the freeway and started navigating through the maze of airport traffic, heading towards the parking areas.

How many outfits had she tried, then discarded? Too many, she thought, as she spotted a vacant parking slot and headed for it. Four or five outfits had been pulled out of the closet and ended up tossed on her bed. Finally, Nancy had settled on the fluttery blue-and-gray flowered skirt and dark blue scoopneck tee. It was simple, not too sexy, and summery. The white sandals she wore were comfortable enough for running a few errands in, but she wouldn’t want to spend the whole day sightseeing in them. She grabbed her shoulder bag as she got out of the car, locked the doors, and made her way inside.

Frank’s flight was showing on the board as delayed. Nancy sighed again. It appeared there had been no need for her to rush, and she looked around for a good seat. She’d brought her classwork with her, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Almost an hour later, the enforced wait was doing nothing to cut down on the butterflies in her stomach. In fact, it seemed to make them worse, and Nancy had to admit she wasn’t making much headway on the book she was trying to read either. She still wasn’t sure what had possessed her to take this class on the history of the detective novel. It was a little silly, but there hadn’t been any classes she needed for her major during the summer session, and it had seemed like a pretty fluffy elective.

Of course, every book she read had her trying to figure out the solution before the fictional sleuth could. So far she wasn’t doing too badly. The Agatha Christie mysteries seemed to rely more on psychology than actual hard clues, and she’d found herself shaking her head at a few of the revealed murderers – Nancy prided herself on being a pretty good detective, but she couldn’t figure out a mystery if she didn’t have the clues to do so.

Her attention kept straying to the Arrivals board. Finally, she was rewarded by seeing his flight number switch from ‘delayed’ to ‘arrived’. The butterflies swarmed briefly as Nancy put the book away, and dug out her cell phone, waiting to see if he was going to send her a message. It had only been three weeks since they had decided to move from a friendship with an attraction to an actual relationship. However, due to summer obligations they had spent those three weeks apart, so this was really their first chance to be a ‘normal’ couple.

The next ten minutes seemed much longer, until she spotted him in the crowd of arriving passengers, and lifted a hand to wave at him. It was easier to stand where she was and wait for him. Finally, he was standing in front of her, handsome as ever in jeans and black tee-shirt, carryon bag slung over one shoulder.

“It’s good to see you,” he said, before wrapping his arms around her, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Finally.”

“I was starting to get a little worried,” she said lightly. “I thought I might actually finish my book for class before you showed up.”

He turned, took her hand in his. “Let’s get out of here then.”

*** *** ***

“So what’s the plan?” Frank asked as they walked through the parking garage.

“Right now, lunch,” Nancy said. “Tonight, it’s dinner and salsa dancing. Tomorrow. I thought maybe we’d go sightseeing. That’s about as much as I have planned.”

“No mystery to solve? No old friend who needs help?” Frank asked with a grin.

“No…unless you’re on some case for your father,” Nancy teased back.

“Not this weekend,” he said quickly. “And I promise you, I left Joe back in Bayport.”

“I hope you don’t get bored,” Nancy said, keeping her face and voice carefully bland.

“I’m sure we can find something to do,” he replied as they found the Mustang, watching as she blushed slightly. She opened the trunk so he could put his bag back there. After she had shut the lid, he rested his hands on her shoulders.

“I missed you,” he said softly, and bent his head to kiss her. Nancy leaned against him, his hands sliding down over her back, until he broke the kiss.

“I missed you too,” she said, just as softly. There was a long quiet moment, and then Nancy shook her head.

“Problem?” Frank said, curious.

“Just thinking how silly it is to be feeling awkward… but I am,” she finished in a rush.

He smiled at her, pulled her close for another kiss. “Maybe if we do it some more, you won’t feel so awkward?”

She had to laugh. “Nice try, Hardy.”

“You were saying something about lunch?” Frank asked as he walked around to the passenger-side door.

*** *** ***

“I like the apartment,” Frank said as she opened the door to the guest room.

“So do we. We had a third roommate originally, but after she transferred colleges, we decided to try it with just the two of us,” Nancy said, leaning against the door frame. “Of course, there’s only one bathroom.”

“Nicer and quieter than my dorm room,” Frank agreed. “Although my current roommate is a step up from my younger brother,” he added teasingly as he set his bag down on the bed.

Nancy affected a mock-surprised look. “You mean Joe Hardy can be hard to live with?”

“He has his moments.”

“I’m sure he says the same about you,” Nancy teased.

Frank shrugged. “Probably.”

They fell silent, and she wondered if he was as aware of the fact that they were alone in the apartment as she was. From the look in his eyes as he walked towards her, Nancy was pretty sure the answer was yes.

“So how about making up for some lost time?” Frank asked quietly.

“I might be persuaded,” she replied, as he slid his arms around her. She rose up on her toes to meet him halfway as he kissed her. She was dimly aware of the doorframe at her back, but otherwise totally caught up in the kiss, in Frank’s arms around her, and the simple pleasure of being able to hold onto him.

Until the sound of someone clearing their throat registered with Nancy’s brain. She pulled away from Frank, cheeks red hot, and heard her roommate’s amused Southern drawl. “Well, I guess I don’t have to ask how your day is going. I sure hope this is Frank Hardy, or you’re going to have a little explainin’ to do.”

Frank studied the slim young woman, an inch or three shorter than Nancy, her reddish brown hair pulled back in a ponytail that brushed her shoulders, hazel eyes wickedly amused. She’d obviously been working out, judging from her clothes.

Nancy shot her a death glare, a small part of her wishing the floor would just fall in, then shook her head.

“Frank, my roommate, Reese Koscuiszko. Reese, Frank Hardy.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Reese said, extending a hand.

“Likewise.”

*** *** ***

Nancy stepped out into the living room. “Any word from Rick?” she asked as she sat on the arm of the couch, next to Frank. They had spent the afternoon relaxing in the living room, keeping Reese entertained with some of their past adventures together. Reese had given Frank a brief salsa dancing lesson, providing some more good-natured entertainment.

“He swears he’s only five minutes away,” Reese said from where she was chatting with Frank.

Nancy smiled at Frank as he turned to look at her. This outfit, she had shopped for – with Bess, of course – and she’d been looking for sexy. From the look on his face, she had succeeded. The turquoise blue top left one shoulder bare and the black skirt draped over her hips to fall inches short of her knees, the outfit finished off by strappy black high heels. She had left her hair down, dangling earrings in the shape of silver flowers at her ears, a matching y-necklace around her throat.

“You look great,” he said. “I feel a little underdressed looking at you two,” he commented, waving a hand in her roommate’s direction. Reese had on a simple red dress, but had pulled her hair into a roll at the nape of her neck, and gone dramatic on the makeup.

Nancy shook her head. “You look fine,” she said, thinking he looked better than fine in the pressed khakis and black pullover shirt. “She and Rick like to dress up. They take the competition pretty seriously.”

The doorbell rang, and Reese went to answer it. Nancy leaned down to give Frank a quick kiss, then walked into the kitchen to call the cab company.

Frank found himself liking Rick Narvaez almost immediately. As Nancy had said, he was a bit more dressed up – black slacks and dark red shirt to go along with Reese’s dress – and he reminded Frank a little of his younger brother – stocky and shorter than either brother, but he had dark brown eyes and a quick smile.

The other couple had an easiness about their relationship that Frank found himself envying. While he and Nancy had known each other a long time, there was no denying the fact that they were still trying to feel out this phase of their relationship – and the distance didn’t help.

*** *** ***

The club’s authenticity (or lack thereof) wasn’t what drew the college crowd, but its atmosphere – dollar margaritas, relatively inexpensive loaded nachos, fajitas and quesadillas lived side-by-side with a dance floor playing non-stop Latin music. Viva Latina cheerfully borrowed from different Hispanic cultures, added cheap alcohol and plenty of tables, and was a success. Reese had worked there as a waitress until she’d gotten an internship deal the last half of their junior year. They hosted pretty serious dance competitions, complete with a live band, and even did informal lessons some nights.

They managed to score a table bordering the dance floor, and found themselves joined by another couple Rick knew, Jason and Laila. The chicken quesadillas and nachos weren’t exactly dinner, but they went down well with the first round of margaritas.

“Going for the prize tonight?” Jason asked.

“All two hundred dollars of it,” Reese said, loud enough to be heard over the noise level in the bar.

When the music started, Frank found himself dragged on the floor. Reese had given him a brief demonstration that afternoon, but he’d never been as good at the dancing bit as Joe was. Dancing with Nancy was enjoyable, but after a few dances, he found himself giving her an apologetic look.

“Sorry,” he said with a small smile. “Not the dancing Hardy here.”

Nancy smiled back as the music shifted gears to something slow and smooth, but still Latin flavored. She stepped closer, let him pull her against him. “I like this too,” she replied softly, sliding her arms around his neck. “Definitely the right Hardy.”

“As long as you think so,” he said, voice low. His hands rested at the base of her spine, warm through the thin material of her outfit. She fit nicely against him, the shoes she wore wiping out part of the half-foot difference in height. Her temple rested against his cheek, and he could smell whatever the delicate perfume she was wearing was. It felt very nice, he thought, to just dance and not be worried about any of the issues that usually intruded.

The music ended, and the beginning of the dance contest was announced. The two of them retreated to the booth, and Nancy flagged down the waitress for margaritas. She found herself leaning back against Frank’s shoulder, and jumped slightly when she felt him brush her hair aside, press his lips against her neck.

“This is nice,” he said softly, draping an arm around her waist.

“It is,” she agreed, bringing her hand to rest against his.

*** *** ***

It wasn’t awkward, exactly, Nancy thought. They had known each other too long for that. She had missed Frank in a way that phone calls and emails could not take away. They helped – it had been good just to be in contact again. Even when it wasn’t romantic, it was nice to have that link to each other, to know that it didn’t have to be a mystery that brought them together. Even the casual random texts they exchanged had a way of brightening her mood, especially when she was buried in work at her father’s office.

Having him here was distracting, and Nancy guessed the best word for the atmosphere was ‘charged’. She’d known he was a good kisser – Mount Mirage and Egypt had provided proof of that. The fact that they didn’t have to hide what they felt, that neither one of them had anything standing in the way was a liberating feeling. It had been less of a distraction at the lake, with a whole cabin full of various Hardys and Drews. She had not been contemplating the idea of how close his room was there, but she figured the fact that Joe had been sharing the room with him had helped put a damper on that. She, of course, had been sharing a room with her aunt Eloise.

Maybe she hadn’t snuck into his room, she thought with a smile, but there had been the morning swim at the lake, just the two of them.

And the lingering thought that he was only a very short walk away was a very distracting one. Even if Reese had been of a mind to care where Nancy was sleeping, her roommate was going to be dead to the world until much later in the morning.

Part of her was wondering what would have happened if they had come back here alone. It was the first time alcohol had really been a factor in their relationship, and while neither of them had over-indulged, some of their inhibitions had definitely been loosened.

Even now, she felt the heat of a blush on her cheeks as she remembered their second go-round at dancing – after they had put down a few drinks while watching the competition. Reese and Rick had put in a strong showing, although not good enough to win. Frank had been a little more relaxed, and proved Joe wasn’t the only Hardy with some smooth moves. They had spent some more time just hanging out, enjoying the drinks and the food, and the atmosphere. Rick had ended up getting dragged off by some of his classmates who had been deserted by their designated driver, and Nancy and Frank had brought Reese home. She’d been grateful to have the help, since Reese had been a little worse off than them. It was one of the things Nancy enjoyed teasing her roommate about – her lack of alcohol tolerance.

By the time she’d gotten Reese into her room – and they had realized it was almost two in the morning – the mood had been broken. They’d shared a laugh, and a more than warm good night kiss, but that had been the end of things.

The problem was the small part of her that wished it hadn’t been.  
\----- ----- -----


	2. Chapter 2

Frank was a little confused when he woke up in the unfamiliar room, until the slight haze in his brain cleared. The guest room in Nancy’s apartment was pretty comfortable, but he didn’t plan on spending too much of the visit asleep. He could smell coffee, and what he thought might be bacon, and his stomach reminded him that dinner had been quite some time ago. He eased the door open, heading for the bathroom and the shower.

That was an experience in itself. He’d thought sharing a bathroom with his brother was bad, but these two had stuff everywhere. There was a veritable explosion of – he wasn’t even sure what half of it was for. A look at some of the labels did not help with the confusion – some of it sounded like it might be more suited to the kitchen – mango-brown sugar body scrub?

Shaved and dressed, he started towards the kitchen – it was definitely bacon – when the bedroom door ajar caught his eye. It was Nancy’s room and he had a sudden impulse to have a look inside. It was relatively neat, he thought, his eyes drawn to the bed where the comforter had been pulled up to cover the pillows and smoothed out. A single strappy black high heel sat next to the bed, its mate nowhere in sight – the only part of last night’s outfit on display.

Frank stepped back – he thought he’d heard a sound from behind Reese’s closed door – and went into the kitchen. Nancy turned from where she was in front of the refrigerator. “Good morning. Coffee?” she said.

“Please.”

She poured a cup, and set it on the counter next to him. Before he could reach out to take it, she moved to give him a long kiss, her hand tracing over his jaw, feeling the smoothness under her fingers.

“Good morning,” he said softly as she pulled away from him. “You made breakfast?”

“I can cook some,” she said with a teasing smile. “Hannah is a pretty good teacher. I wouldn’t want to have to cook a whole formal dinner by myself, but I can handle bacon and eggs.”

“And coffee,” Frank said, lifting his cup.

“And coffee.” She took a sip from her glass of juice. “Funny, Hardy, you always struck me as a morning person.”

“As long as there’s coffee,” he teased. “Death before dishonor, but nothing before coffee.”

She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, and watched the faint flush creep over his face as he reconsidered how that sentence might be taken.

“Beautiful women who cook you breakfast aren’t bad either,” he said after a long moment, taking a seat at the table. “I’m afraid neither Joe nor I are any good at that.”

He watched her scramble eggs and make toast with an efficiency that did not surprise him. The darker green vee-necked top layered over pale green suited her, and went well with the dark jeans she wore.

“This is really good,” he said after his first bite of eggs.

“Thank you,” she replied. They ate in a companionable silence, and when she stood to put her plate in the sink, she found herself being pulled down onto his lap, strong arms wrapping around her waist, lips brushing her cheek before kissing her thoroughly.

“Don’t you two do anything else?” Reese drawled as she came into the kitchen area. “You even match, sort of.”  
Nancy looked down and had to laugh. Frank did have on a sort of matching outfit, with his dark green shirt and blue jeans. “I’m surprised to see you awake this early.”

“You and me both,” Reese said with a yawn as she poured coffee. “Have I ever mentioned that she’s the best roommate ever, Frank?”

“Not that I can recall,” he said warily. Reese had a sense of humor that could be dangerous. She reminded him a little of his brother, that sense of mischief that seemed to follow Joe Hardy around.

“Well, she is. Not only does she make sure I get home in one piece, she saves me breakfast.” Reese busied herself at the toaster, and Nancy took advantage of Frank’s distraction to slide away from him.

“Why are you up early?” Nancy asked Reese as she poured herself more juice.

Reese sighed. “Rick and I have plans to go visit my aunt and uncle. They’re in Chicago for a week or so, visiting Aunt Courtney’s parents. It’s…sort of a test run for Thanksgiving.” She sat down at the table with a plate of the remaining bacon and toast.

“I’m sure it will go well,” Nancy said soothingly. She’d forgotten that this was the weekend for that visit, but Reese had been worrying about it for awhile.

“I hope so.” Reese bit into a piece of bacon, clearly still thinking about it.

“So what brought you to Chicago?” Frank asked in an attempt to take her mind off the subject that was obviously making her twitchy.

Reese shrugged. “I wanted a change from the South for a few years. That, and Chicago has a big Polish population, which I thought would be a cool experience. Which it has been.”

“And you met Rick,” Nancy added, watching Reese smile.

“I did.” Reese toyed with her coffee cup, then sighed. “So, we’re going to go visit with them for the day. I’m not planning on coming home tonight. Rick and I haven’t had a lot of time together lately, and after enduring my family’s version of the Spanish Inquisition, he may need it. My uncle can be… intimidating.”

Nancy glanced down at the table, not sure she liked this news. If she’d felt tempted last night when Reese was in the apartment, how was she going to feel when it was just the two of them here?

Reese excused herself to go take a shower, and Frank waited until she had closed the bathroom door to reach out and touch Nancy’s hand. “Is everything okay? You seem a little distracted.”

Nancy looked at him, and shook her head. “Remember what I said about feeling awkward?”

She could see comprehension dawning, and he nodded slightly.

“I’m still feeling it,” she said quietly. “I didn’t realize she’d be away.”

“Nancy.” He caught her hand up in his. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I can-“

She cut him off. “It’s not that. It’s just – I’m not sure.” She was sure he wouldn’t object if she gave in to the daring little voice in her head, but she wasn’t even sure how she wanted to approach the subject. “It will be fine,” she said firmly, linking her fingers with his.

\----- ----- ----

“Do we want to stay in or go out for dinner?” Nancy asked as she sat down on the couch. They had spent the whole afternoon sightseeing – lunch, the Lincoln Park Zoo, a little shopping, the American Bar Association museum, and a brief tour of the University of Chicago campus – and while it had been fun, she was definitely regretting her decision to wear sandals instead of sneakers.

“What do you want?”

“No fair, I asked first,” she teased. “Isn’t taking charge your thing?”

He pressed a hand to his heart in mock dismay. “Well, someone has to be the fearless leader. I’m as qualified for the job as the next guy.”

“Joe could handle the ‘fearless’ part,” Nancy said with a raised eyebrow.

“Too hot-headed to be the leader, though,” Frank said. “His strength runs more to things like faking the bad guy out with a toy laser pistol.”

“You’re always so calm and collected,” she said in a bland tone. “Leadership must come naturally to you.”

“Exactly,” he said confidently.

“Although,” Nancy said with a gleam in her eyes, “who says the fearless leader has to be a guy?”

“We did write most of the rules,” he informed her, grinning when she gave him a glare, then rolled her eyes.

“Typical,” she sighed. “And I had such hopes for you.”

“How can you be the leader when you always have to be pulled up over a cliff or something?” He said it lightly, but there was a fleeting darkness in his eyes. There had been some close calls, and she’d been lucky to have the brothers around. He was grateful he had been around to save her.

She saw the shadow, and put her hand on his arm, squeezed gently. “Maybe it’s all just part of the plot to let you two show off how big and strong you can be,” she said, voice sugar-sweet. “I know Bess would approve that plan.”

“She does make a better damsel in distress than you,” he said with a smile.

“You’re a pretty good knight, even without shining armor,” Nancy said, then leaned closer to give him a long kiss.   
“And you’re mine. Bess can find her own.”

“She hasn’t done so badly with royalty,” Frank murmured. “A knight should be no problem.”

“So,” he said after another long kiss, as she leaned back against the arm of the couch. “Back to dinner. What are our options for staying in?”

Nancy reached down, rubbing her foot absently. “Pizza, Chinese, sushi delivery. That’s about all…ohhhh God, that feels good,” she said as he pulled her foot into his lap, strong fingers pressing into the sole.

“Sushi delivery?”

“No one’s died of food poisoning yet.” She was really having a hard time concentrating on the question at hand while he was massaging her foot.

“Let’s not be the first,” he said. “Chinese sounds good.”

“Where’s your sense of mystery and adventure?” Nancy teased, as he let go of one foot and captured the other.

“The only mystery right now is why you women wear these torture devices disguised as shoes,” he shot back.

Nancy raised an eyebrow. “No, the shoes I wore last night are torture devices. Those sandals are just pretty.”

After some spirited discussion over what to order, Nancy went to call the restaurant and place the order. Frank stretched out his legs, contemplating the DVDs neatly arranged on the entertainment center.

“How about a movie?” He called out.

“Actually,” Nancy said as she came out of the kitchen, “I do need to watch a movie for my class.”

“Oh?”

“It’s a murder mystery,” she said cheerfully. “One we don’t have to solve.”

“What fun is that?” Frank asked. “What movie?”

“Murder on the Orient Express,” she replied. “Agatha Christie?”

“Oh, a mystery on a train. That’s original,” he said with a smile.

“There’s no diamond involved,” she informed him. “You have read the book?”

“Actually,” he said slowly, “I haven’t.”

She raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged. “I don’t read many mystery novels. I prefer to solve real ones.”

“I must admit,” Nancy said as she put the DVD in, “It’s actually pretty relaxing to watch a mystery that we don’t have to be responsible for.”

“What’s the assignment?”

“Comparison on how the movie adapts the novel, and whether the mystery is better in one form than the other,” Nancy replied as she sat down on the far end of the couch. “And yes, I do have to pay attention, so you’re just going to stay down there on your end of the couch.”

“If you like.” He stretched out a little more. “How long on dinner?”

“They said about an hour. Apparently we weren’t the only ones who decided to go with Chinese tonight.”

\----- ----- -----

By the time the doorbell sounded, Frank was more wrapped up in the movie than he had thought he would be. Nancy paused the DVD, and they went into the kitchen together to get the food sorted out. When they were seated, and the movie was playing again, she glanced over at Frank’s plate.

“What?” He asked, turning to see her studying him.

“Oh nothing. I was just wondering which Hardy brother was visiting me.”

He looked down at the full plate of roast pork fried rice, three egg rolls, and a generous helping of cashew chicken. “Obviously not Joe. He doesn’t usually bother with a plate, or sharing.”

Nancy giggled. “True.”

“You don’t look convinced,” he said teasingly. “Maybe I need to prove it to you?”

“Maybe,” she said with a smile.

“After I finish eating, that is.”

They settled in to finish watching the movie and enjoy their dinner. When the credits rolled, Frank stood. “I’ll get the dishes.”

Nancy looked up at him with a mischievous smile. “I guess that proves you’re Frank. Joe has never volunteered to do the dishes.”

“That wasn’t the proof I was thinking of,” he said as he turned the faucet on.

“Oh, I’m convinced,” she said with a laugh.

“Keep laughing. You’ll pay soon enough.”

\----- ----- -----

He woke up in the dark, disoriented. It took a moment for him to realize where he was. Nancy was asleep next to him, her head pillowed on his shoulder, his arm curled around her. They’d decided to watch The Mummy, and then The Thin Man, although apparently Nick and Nora hadn’t been very good company. The clock on the VCR read one-fifteen-am, so they hadn’t been asleep all that long. The crick in his neck had probably been what woke him, Frank thought, stretching slightly.

He knew what he should do was wake Nancy, tell her to go to bed, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it. Having her in his arms like this felt so comfortable, so right, that he hated the idea of ending the moment. For a moment, he toyed with the idea of carrying her back to her bedroom, but had to discard it. If he moved to stand, he was likely to wake her up anyway. The same problem applied to any attempts to rearrange themselves so he could be more comfortable.

“Nancy.” He said her name quietly, ran his finger along her cheek. “Nancy, wake up.”

“Mmmm?” She lifted her head, blinked. “Is the movie over?”

“I think we both missed the end,” he replied. Nancy sat up next to him, pushing her hair away from her face. In the dim light from outside the window, he could see her outline, her delicate features, the tumble of reddish gold. She had changed earlier from jeans to yoga pants, to be more comfortable while they were snuggled on the couch.

The movie watching had been fun, but this moment alone in the dark was dangerously intimate.

“Too bad,” she said quietly, “it’s one of my favorites.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve always had a thing for detectives,” she whispered, and leaned over to kiss him. “Especially tall, dark and handsome ones,” she whispered against his lips.

His hands slid around her waist as the kiss deepened, pulling her onto his lap, shifting slightly to bring them more in line with each other. Nancy moved with him easily, tracing a hand along the side of his face.

She pulled back from the kiss, breathless, to discover she was straddling him, one of his hands resting at the small of her back, as the other toyed with a lock of her hair.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said softly, intensely, and she didn’t need the light to know what kind of expression was in his dark eyes.

Before she could say anything in reply, he was kissing her again, and she ran her hands into his hair, kissing him back. She let herself stop thinking, let herself be pulled along. They had plenty of lost time to make up for, and there was definitely no one to disturb them this time.

It wasn’t until she felt his hands warm against her skin that she started thinking again. It was a dangerous feeling, and a fun one, and she sighed. It had been awhile since she’d been touched, since she had been in the dark with a good kisser. She slid her hand under the hem of his shirt, trailing her fingers over his stomach, and he tensed, whispered her name as his hands tightened around her.

She shifted suddenly, and realized they had to stop before they got into trouble, before she didn’t want to say no.  
“We need to stop,” she said shakily, almost not recognizing her own voice, as she pulled away from him, enough for his hands to come to rest on her waist, still underneath her shirt. “Frank.” Her voice sharpened slightly. “We need to stop.”

She thought he might have muttered something under his breath, but he pulled his hands away, sitting up slightly, breath still a little ragged. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She forced herself to say it firmly. “I don’t… I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

“I liked it better when you weren’t thinking so much,” he said quietly, sighing slightly. “What’s wrong?”

“I just-“ she broke off and closed her eyes, trying to get her thoughts together. “Two things. One, I didn’t plan this far ahead.”

He did whisper an expletive this time. “I wasn’t planning on this either,” he said.

“That’s not what it feels like where I’m sitting,” she said trying to get a sense of humor about the situation.

“I didn’t say I hadn’t thought about it,” he said, his voice thick. “I’d be worried if I hadn’t thought about it. But I didn’t plan…ahead.”

“The other thing is, I’m worried. Scared, even. Scared that we’re rushing this, scared that we might do something that screws up how we feel about each other.” She put her finger over his lips. “I’m not ready to go to bed with you, Frank.”

He breathed out slowly. “Then it can wait, Nancy.” He cupped his hands around her face. “I don’t want you to do something you’re not comfortable with.”

She smiled, knew he could feel it if not see it. “Frank…”

He kissed her gently. “Nancy.”

They sat in silence for a moment, until he shifted uncomfortably. “If you’re going to bed alone, then you should probably go.”

She blushed, even if he couldn’t really see her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just…”

This time he laid his finger over her lips. “Don’t worry.”

She stood, feeling the slightest bit unsteady, and wondering if she really had made the right decision. He stood as well, and she could feel his presence in front of her, tall and powerful.

“Can I at least have a good night kiss?” His voice was soft, and a little amused.

“Of course,” she said, and reached out to wrap her arms around his waist. His lips met hers in a long kiss, and Nancy made herself pull away. “You’re not exactly helping yourself, here.” Or me, she thought.

He sighed. “I know. Good night, Nancy.” He brushed his hand along her cheek, his thumb barely touching her lower lip, and walked past her. She didn’t move until she heard the bedroom door open, then shut.

“Good night,” she whispered to the dark, before walking to her own room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who like to keep track of the references, a quick run-down:   
> The toy laser pistol bit is a nod to Dangerous Games.   
> Nancy being saved from going over the edge of something is a recurring theme.   
> Bess’s attraction to royalty is addressed in A Crime for Christmas and Royal Revenge.   
> The jokes about Murder on the Orient Express come from Mystery Train.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a beautiful morning, and he had not been able to run the last two mornings. That wasn’t the primary factor in his decision to go for the five miles in unfamiliar territory. He needed the physical activity to burn off extra energy, and he admitted, frustration. The run also gave him time to think, let his mind wander a little. Falling asleep had not been easy, with the knowledge that Nancy was only steps away.

He had told her the truth when he’d said he hadn’t been planning on anything happening. Or, he thought with a somewhat wry smile, at least not very concrete planning. Part of him wanted to kick himself for not following the Boy Scout motto, but overall it was probably better in this case. If he had been able to overcome one of her objections, she might have decided to ignore the other. As much as he wouldn’t mind talking Nancy out of her clothes, she had a good point. There was no point in risking what they had. At least, that was what his brain was telling him.

He was trying to ignore the other small voice that wasn’t as concerned with the future.

If she wasn’t ready to take that step, he wouldn’t push. Despite the long relationship that they shared – as friends who cared deeply about each other, who could work together almost seamlessly – the rational part of his brain knew they were coming at this new relationship from slightly different places. The breakup with Callie had been more mutual, less wrenching than he suspected Nancy’s breakup with Ned had been, and more time had passed.

Frank had told Nancy the truth, that none of the girls he’d taken on a date had been anything serious, but he’d neglected to mention that he had taken one of them up on her no-strings-attached offer. He didn’t really regret it, but it had not been something he could imagine doing again, either. He wanted Nancy, and if that meant waiting, he would deal with it. They had waited this long, and more time wouldn’t kill either of them.

\----- ----- ----

She had not heard him slip out this morning, but she had woken up to find the guestroom door open. He had mentioned wanting to go for a run when they were out yesterday, she recalled. Part of her was a little relieved, and glad that she would have time to get herself collected. If it had been hard to go to sleep the first night, last night was even worse. It had been very nice to wake up cuddled next to him, his arm curled around her. She had made the first move in the dark without really thinking about it, and then her brain had started working again, only after she realized that he seemed to think going further – a lot further – was just fine.

Nancy knew she had done the right thing – but it hadn’t stopped her from tossing and turning, or dreaming that she hadn’t put the brakes on. That hadn’t been a bad dream at all. Of course, in the dream, her actions had no consequences, and no chance of either of them deciding it had been a horrible mistake. Dreams were convenient like that, she thought in annoyance. Part of her still couldn’t believe they were actually together, after all the times they had come up to the line and then walked away. They had always been close, except for the period when she had deliberately made herself step away, trying to keep Ned happy. The period when she had failed not only herself, but him. She didn’t know that she could put a name to what the two of them had now, she only knew that she couldn’t risk screwing it up.

\----- ----- -----

The apartment was still quiet when he came back inside, and he glanced at the clock. It was already close to ten, and he was going to have to head back to Bayport later this afternoon. The short weekend had been all either of them could really manage, although he was hoping to talk her into coming up for a weekend in New York. He had pulled off his shoes and socks when he heard her voice.

“Have a nice run?” He turned to see her standing there, smiling at him. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” he answered. “It was pretty good. I’ve been lazing around the last few days.”

She said nothing, but he looked like he was in fine shape to her eyes. He hadn’t shaved yet, she noticed. “I was thinking maybe we could go out for a late breakfast.”

“I need to shower and change first,” he said.

“Frank, about last night-“ She broke off, suddenly nervous again, despite the fact that she’d been rehearsing the words for about the last twenty minutes, all through her shower.

He reached out, took one of her hands in his. “It’s really not a problem. We’re still getting used to this whole relationship deal, and you’re probably right about waiting.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“Some more waiting won’t kill us,” he said quietly, echoing his earlier thoughts. He could see her visibly relax, and wondered, not for the first time, what her break up with Ned had been like. He didn’t buy that the break up had been as cool and collected as the version she had told him, and wondered if that was playing into her nervousness.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“You could give me a real thank you,” he said with a grin.

“If you insist,” she said after a moment, a smile of her own on her face as she pulled her hand away from him, sliding her arms around his neck as he kissed her.

Nancy was mildly amused to notice the glance he shot at the front door after he pulled away from her. “Shouldn’t your roommate be showing up right about now?” he said teasingly.

“Very funny,” she replied. “Go take your shower.”

\----- ----- -----

Nancy watched Frank pull his bag out of the back seat of the Mustang. It seemed like the weekend had flown by, and she almost couldn’t believe they were back at the airport already. They had lingered over a long breakfast, and just enjoyed each other’s company. It had been lovely to just be with each other, but now she found herself wishing they had more time before he had to leave her. It was part of the reason she had decided to drive back to River Heights from the airport – she didn’t want to walk into the apartment without him, and start feeling lonely before he even got back to Bayport. So instead, she had decided to go home, where she knew Hannah would be cooking dinner.

“Do you have everything?”

Frank nodded. “I need to buy something to read inside, but other than that I’m good. It might be my last chance to read something that isn’t a casefile. I’m sure Dad has a ton of work piled on my desk waiting for me.”

“At least I don’t have my father directly overworking me,” Nancy said with a smile. “He leaves the actual taskmaster duties to Eleanor.”

“It’s not so bad,” he said cheerfully. “You should come to Bayport and see.”

“Maybe,” she replied, sliding her hand through his as they walked through the parking area to the airport. “Except for the whole part where there’s a houseful of Hardys.”

He sighed. “There is that.”

“Maybe you could come back for the Fourth of July weekend?” Nancy proposed after a moment. “Or you could give me a tour of Cornell.” She tried not to think about the fact that the holiday was another three weeks away. Three weeks was not that long, she told herself. She had known going in that they were going to be separated, but it was harder than she had anticipated. She already missed him, and she hadn’t even left the airport.

“That’s a possibility.”

She stood back as he checked in, and waited for him to be done with the process. They started moving in the direction of the gates, neither of them moving very quickly.

“You’ll call me when you get home?” Nancy asked as they stood out of the way from the people starting to get in line for security screening. It was as close to private as they were going to get, she realized.

“Of course. You’ll be back in River Heights?”

She nodded. “I’m going to get on the road as soon as I leave.”

“Drive safely,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her. Nancy rested her head against his shoulder for a moment before he kissed her, long and deep. She kept her arms around his waist, not wanting to let go.

“I promise,” she said softly. “You should be going.”

“I know, but I really don’t want to,” he said, his dark eyes locked with hers.

“I don’t want you to go either,” Nancy said, reaching up to run her hand along the line of his jaw, just before she kissed him again.

After a long moment of holding each other, Nancy stepped back to let him go. He was almost to the head of the line when she called out to him.

“Hey, Hardy, take good care of my detective.” She blew him a kiss, more to see him smile at her one more time than anything else. It worked, and she smiled back, knowing they must look a little silly to the people around them.

“I will. You take good care of mine,” he called back, and then he was up to the TSA agent, who failed to look amused.

She watched until she couldn’t see him anymore.


End file.
